Christian  Endeavorers 


Msc  Cljc  ilifale  for 

Cfje  ^orlli 


A  CHINESE  COLPORTEUR. 


1900-J90I 


THE  AMERICAN  BIBLE  SOCIETY, 


PRESIDENT. 


VICE-PRESIDENTS. 


JoSHTTA  L.  Chamberlain,  Me. 
Oliver  O.  Howard,  Vt. 
CORILANDT  Parker,  N.  J. 
Frank  M.  Cockrell,  Mo. 

John  W.  Foster,  D.  C. 
TnEOpniLus  A.  Brouwer,  N.  Y. 
Cyrus  NORTimor,  Minn. 

James  H.  Carlisle,  S.  C. 
Howard  Van  Errs,  Ga. 

James  H.  TAft,  N.  Y. 

Annis  Merrill,  Cal. 

William  P.  Dillingham,  Vt. 

E.  E.  Beard,  Tenn. 


David  J.  Brewer,  D.  0. 
Merrill  E.  Gates,  D.  C. 
William  J.  Northen,  Ga. 
Edward  II.  East,  Tenn. 
William  A.  Robinson,  Ky. 
Elbert  A.  Brinckeriioff,  N.  J. 
John  Noble  Stearns,  N.  Y. 
James  A.  Beater,  Pa. 

Daniel  C.  Gilman,  Md. 
Benjamin  Harrison,  Ind. 

John  B.  Smith,  N.  H. 

Francis  M.  Drake,  la. 

Horace  Hitchcock,  Mich. 


SECRETARIES. 

Rev.  EDWARD  W.  GILMAN,  D.D.  REV.  JOHN  FOX,  D.D. 
Rev.  WILLIAM  I.  HAVEN,  D.D. 


TREASURER. 
WILLIAM  FOULKE. 


MANAGERS. 

Term-lS97  to  I'.'Ol. 

William  Hoyt.  Ezra  B.  Tuttle.  Alexander  Maitland. 

T.  G.  Sellew.  James  S.  Raker.  Henry  S.  Stearns,  M.D 

George  Foster  Peabody.  Henry  C.  M.  Ingraham. 


Andrew  C.  Armstrong. 
Alexander  E.  Orr. 
Gerard  Beekman. 


John  E.  Parsons. 
Frederick  Sturges. 
F.  Wolcott  Jackson. 


William  T.  Booth 
Churchill  H.  Cutting. 
John  S.  Pierson. 


Term-1898  to  1902. 

E.  Francis  Hyde. 

H.  D.  Nicoll,  M.D. 
William  H.  Harris. 

Term— 1899  to  1903. 
John  Crosby  Brown. 
George  G.  Reynolds. 
James  A.  Punderford. 

Term— 1900  to  1904. 
Daniel  J.  Holden. 
John  S.  McLean. 

Wm.  j.  Sciheffelin. 


Ezra  P.  Hoyt,  M.D. 
Edward  P.  Tenney. 
A.  H.  Gilbert. 


John  Truslow. 
George  E.  Sterry. 
Thomas  Whittaker. 


James  Wood. 

Charles  D.  Leterich. 
Edward  Kirk  Billings- 


The  American  Bible  Society  Scries,  No.  7. 


1900:  7:  30,  lOM. 


A  FAMILIAR  LETTER. 

Dear  Endeavorer  : 

That  you  value  the  Bible  highly  is  proved  by  your 
pledge  to  read  it  every  day,  and  to  do  what  Christ 
has  there  said  he  would  have  you  do. 

But  do  you  know  that  there  are  hundreds  of  lan¬ 
guages  and  dialects,  spoken  by  possibly  two  hundred 
millions  of  people,  into  which  no  part  of  the  Bible 
has  yet  been  even  translated  ? 

A  hundred  years  ago  there  were  only  fifty-six 
languages  which  had  been  favored  with  some  ver¬ 
sion  of  the  Bible.  During  this  century  the  number 
of  languages  has  been  brought  up  to  four  hundred, 
but  of  these  less  than  one  hundred  possess  the  entire 
Bible,  and  into  scores  of  them  only  a  single  book  of 
it  has  been  translated. 

The  population  of  the  world  is  about  one  and  a 
half  billion  souls.  If  all  the  Bibles,  Testaments,  and 
single  books  of  the  Bible  that  have  ever  been  printed 
were  available  to-day  they  could  only  supply  one 
fifth  of  the  human  race.  But  when  we  remember 
that  nineteen  twentieths  of  all  these  copies  have  been 
absorbed  by  Protestant  lands,  the  destitution  in  the 
rest  of  the  world  is  pitifyl.  The  great  work  already 
done  is,  therefore,  only  a  fair  beginning  of  the 
greater  task  of  translating  the  whole  word  of  Ood 
into  every  language  under  heaven,  and  placing  a 
copy  of  it  in  the  hands  of  each  of  His  children. 

Is  it  not  the  chief  duty  of  the  Church  and  of  every 
individual  Christian  to  promote  the  spread  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  to  the  knowledge  of  which  we  owe 
our  own  salvation  ? 


4 

Have  you  or  your  Society  yet  taken  any  part  in 
this  glorious  work  f  Do  you  knoiv  how  you  can  f 

Our  great  national  agency  for  securing  new  trans¬ 
lations,  and  for  printing  and  circulating  the  Scrip¬ 
tures  in  all  lands,  is  the  American  Bibee  Society. 
During  the  past  eighty-four  years  it  has  sent  out 
over  sixty-seven  million  volumes  of  Scriptures. 

The  American  Bibee  Society  needs  and  claims 
the  help  of  all  Christian  Endeavor ers,  because  : 

1.  Its  work  is  essential  in  winning  the  world  '■'■for 
Christ  and  the  Church.” 

S.  There  is  nothing  wasteful  or  doubtful  in  its  aim 
or  methods.  Its  funds  are  used  solely  for  circulat¬ 
ing  the  Bible  without  note  or  comment. 

S.  It  is  most  cordially  all-denominational,  re¬ 
sponding  to  needs  both  at  home  and  abroad  with¬ 
out  regard  to  sect. 

4.  The  Bible  is  the  best  missionary.  The  paralyz¬ 
ing  of  the  American  Bibee  Society  through  lack 
of  funds  would  mean  the  crippling  of  all  missionary 
societies  which  must  look  to  it  for  Scriptures. 

5.  The  diversion  to  other  denominational  enter¬ 
prises  and  to  local  charities  of  streams  of  benev¬ 
olence  which  should  come  to  the  treasury  of  the 
Bible  Society  is  a  danger  to  which  all  should  be 
alive  The  possibility  of  such  a  danger  is  simply 
that  the  Society's  work  of  circulating  a  million  and 
a  half  volumes  yearly  is  carried  on  so  quietly  as 
not  to  command  the  attention  and  support  which 
it  deserves.  This  is  all  the  more  reason  why  you 
who  now  know  the  need  should  help. 

Will  not  yon  and  your  Society  taUe  a  part 
in  this  great  work  ? 


5 

A  full  SHARE  is  $30. 

Donors  of  this  amount  in  a  single  payment  may 
designate  themselves  or  some  one  else  as  a  Life 
Member  of  the  American  Bibee  Society,  entitled 
to  draw  annually  one  dollar's  worth  of  Scriptures 
for  distribution. 

What  $30  will  do. 

It  will  support  a  colporteur  to  represent  you  in 
the  Orient  for  six  months. 

It  will  provide  150  destitute  families  with  the 
entire  Bible,  or  600  with  the  New  Testament,  or 
1,000  with  a  single  Oospel. 

If  you  cannot  raise  a  full  share  fSO,  can  you  not 
take  half  a  share  ^15,  or  one  third  flO.  The  Juniors 
are  glad  to  help  by  filling  collecting  cards,  which 
will  be  sent  on  request. 

All  societies  that  will  give  a  meeting  to  this  ob¬ 
ject,  and  send  a  conti-ibution  large  or  small,  may 
receive  for  one  year,  free,  the  Bible  Society 
Record,  a  sixteen  page  monthly  paper  with  in¬ 
teresting  news  from  many  lands — very  helpful  for 
missionary  meetings-. 

There  will  also  be  sent  to  any  one  who  will  try  to 
help  the  cause,  and  who  is  properly  vouched  for,  a 
collecting  card  and  copies  of  this  booklet  for  dis¬ 
tribution,  and  a  pamphlet  containing  specimens  of 
translations  in  24:2  languages. 

You  have  been  ''put  in  trust  with  the  gospel." 

Please  do  not  lay  this  aside  till  you  and  your  So¬ 
ciety  have  done  something  to  fulfill  this  sacred  trust. 

Send  all  eontrihutions  to 

WILLIAM  FOULKE,  Treas., 

Bible  House,  NeW  York. 


What  Can  the  Young  People 
Do  For  the  Bible  Cause  ? 


BY  WILLIAM  SHAW, 

Treasurer,  United  Society  of  Christian  Endeavor. 

This  is  a  practical  question,  and  deserves 
a  practical  answer.  I  might  confine  my¬ 
self  to  referring  to  the  need  of  cultiva¬ 
ting  a  personal  love  for  the  word  on  the  part 
of  the  young  people,  or  speak  of  plans  and 
methods  of  securing  better  results  from  Bible 
study.  But  the  Spirit  does  not  lead  me  along 
these  lines.  As  a  business  man,  I  have  been 
thinking  of  the  business  side  of  the  question. 

The  American  Bible  Society  is  the  recog¬ 
nized  agency  for  the  publication  and  circulation 
of  the  Bible.  It  was  dear  to  the  hearts  of  the 
fathers  who  gave  to  it  largely  both  of  prayer 
and  money.  But  for  some  reason  it  dropped 
out  of  sight  while  the  claims  of  other  forms  of 
missionary  work  were  pressed  upon  the  churches. 
Some  months  ago,  I  heard  Mr.  Colton  (the 
special  Agent  for  Eastern  Massachusetts)  de¬ 
liver  the  first  address  on  the  needs  of  the  Bible 
Society  that  I  have  heard  for  more  than  fifteen 
years.  A  generation  has  grown  up  that  “  knows 
not  Joseph,”  and  to  whom  the  story  of  the  mag- 


7 

nificent  work  done  by  this  old  Society  is  as  fresh 
as  the  latest  novel. 

Therefore,  in  answering  the  question  I  have 
asked,  I  would  say  : 

I.  Let  the  young  people  inform  themselves 
concerning  the  work  that  must  be  done  by  this 
Society,  if  it  is  to  be  done  at  all.  The  work  is 
fundamental.  Before  any  real  progress  can  be 


made  in  mission  lands,  the  people  must  have  the 
word.  If  I  had  to  choose  between  the  mission¬ 
ary  without  the  Bible,  or  the  Bible  without  the 
missionary,  I  would  choose  the  latter.  God  s 
word  shall  not  return  unto  him  void.  But  I 
need  not  say  that  I  prefer  both  the  man  and  the 
Book, 


8 

2.  By  furnishing  a  score  or  a  hundred  such 
splendid  fellows  as  Captain  Carrington,  the  ear¬ 
nest  Christian  Endeavorer,  who  is  scattering  the 
Bible  in  Siam.  No  better  missionary  work  is 
being  done  by  any  man  in  any  land. 

3.  The  most  important  service  the  young 
people  can  render  to  this  and  every  other  good 
cause,  is  to  make  their  business  a  branch  of  the 
King’s  business.  The  loudest  call  for  the  ex¬ 
tension  of  Christ  s  kingdom  to-day  comes  to 
business  men.  And  yet  there  are  many  young 
men  who  when  converted  think  they  must  enter 
the  ministry.  The  men  and  the  machinery  are 
ready,  but  the  money  is  minus.  God  made  sil¬ 
ver  ore  as  well  as  sermon  ore,  but  man  must 
mine  and  mint  it  before  it  will  pass  current  in 
the  markets  of  the  world.  People  to-day  do 
not  need  special  instruction  as  to  how  to  make 
money,  but  we  do  need  light  on  how  to  spend  it. 
Young  people  need  to  be  taught  that  it  is  just 
as  sacred  a  thing  to  make  money  for  the  exten¬ 
sion  of  God’s  kingdom  as  to  make  sermons. 
More  than  anything  else,  the  Bible  Society  needs 
money  to-day  that  it  may  enter  open  doors  with 
God’s  word. 

What  shall  we  do.  Make  provision  for  the 
presentation  of  this  work  in  the  churches.  In¬ 
form  the  people.  Give  them  a  chance  to  give. 
Let  the  seed,  which  is  the  word,  be  scattered, 
and  abundant  harvests  will  be  ours. 


9 


WHAT  THE  AMERICAN  BIBLE 
SOCIETY  DOES 

For  America; 

1.  It  forces  down  the  price  of  Bibles  for 
everybody  by  selling  them  at  cost. 

2.  It  searches  out  the  poor  and  7ieglected  in 
cities  and  in  isolated  regions  who  would  other* 
wise  be  deprived  of  God’s  word. 

3.  It  supplies  the  brave  men  of  our  army 
and  navy,  and  through  its  auxiliaries,  the  in¬ 
mates  of  hospitals,  prisons,  homes,  and  many 
other  institutions. 

For  Foreign  Lands: 

1.  It  promotes  the  accurate  translation  of  the 
Scriptures  into  other  languages,  a  work  requir¬ 
ing  wise  unsectarian  supervision.  For  each 
sect  to  make  its  own  translations  would  mean 
great  extravagance  and  increase  of  the  scandal 
of  divided  Christendom. 

2.  It  bears  the  expense  of  printing  and  bind¬ 
ing  these  translations,  a  work  beyond  private 
enterprise  and  the  resources  of  missionary 
boards.  The  extensive  printing  of  Scriptures 
in  Turkish,  Armenian,  and  Greek  at  Constan¬ 
tinople,  in  Arabic  at  Beirut,  Syria,  as  well  as 
similar  work  in  China,  Japan,  and  elsewhere, 
is,  in  reality,  done  at  the  expense  of  the  Bible  So¬ 
ciety,  though  missionary  boards  naturally  often 
get  the  credit  for  it,  as  the  work  is  done  in 
their  fields  and  in  connection  with  their  mis¬ 
sionaries. 

3.  It  maintains  a  thorough  and  extensive 
system  of  distribution  through  about  three  hun- 


lO 


dred  able  and  devoted  agents  and  colporteurs, 
who  also  expound  and  vindicate  the  Scriptures 


THREE  JUMNA  GIRLS. 

in  the  home,  the  shop,  or  the  street.  These 
brave  workers  are  the  advance  guard  of  the 


II 

great  missionary  army  that  is  to  conquer  the 
world  for  Christ. 

4.  It  thus  lays  the  foundation  for  and  sup¬ 
plements  the  work  of  foreign  missionary  socie¬ 
ties  of  every  creed. 

“The  Bible  is  the  missionary, as  a  dis¬ 
tinguished  missionary  has  himself  pointed  out. 
It  is  practically  the  only  missionary  for  reach¬ 
ing  Mohammedans,  Roman  Catholics,  and 
Greeks  in  lands  where  the  direct  efforts  of 
preachers  and  teachers  are  not  tolerated  or 
are  obstructed,  as  in  Turkey,  Arabia,  Austria, 
Spain,  South  America,  and  Russia. 


The  Increase  in  Gifts 

to  the  American  Bible  Society  should  be  im¬ 
mediate  and  abundant  because  of  the  increas¬ 
ing  importance  of  its  work,  and  because 

1.  Its  foTinen  income  has  been  Inn^ely^  divented 
by  the  increasing  appeals  for  denominational 
causes  and  for  local  charities.  Christians  of 
all  creeds  accept  God’s  word,  and  should  not 
forget  that  their  jh'st  duty  is  to  spread  it, 
the  source  of  all  truth  and  life.  How  can 
any  chuch  treat  this  cause  as  an  “outside 
object !  ’’ 

2.  Its  work  is  easily  forgotten  because  it  is 
done  quietly  and  out  of  sight.  The  prepara¬ 
tion  and  distribution  of  Scriptures,  though 
essential,  is  not  romantic.  It  is  like  the  work 
of  stokers  who  feed  the  fires  that  drive  the 
ocean  liner. 

3.  There  is  a  false  impression  that  the  Society  is 
rich.  The  fact  is  that  its  entire  income  from 
investments  and  from  rents  of  that  part  of  the 


PRESS  ROOM  OF  THE  A'lERICAN  BIBLE  SOCIETY, 
The  Modern  Miracle  of  Pentecost. 


.1 


-rfl* 


14 

Bible  House  not  used  for  its  own  manufactur¬ 
ing  plant  is  only  enough  to  carry  on  its  work 
for  six  weeks.  The  Society  needs  at  least 
$250,000  a  year  from  the  public. 

Let  all  who  believe  the  Bible  give  this  cause 
their  love,  prayers,  and  support. 

A  SUPREME  CLAIM. 

The  American  Bible  Society  is  limited  by 
its  charter  to  the  sole  object  of  circulating  the 
Bible  without  note  or  comment. 

Thus  none  of  its  work  can  be  of  a  temporary, 
doubtful,  or  controversial  character.  There  is  no 
waste  to  the  Bible.  It  is,  therefore,  a  cause 
peculiarly  worthy  of  being  remembered  with  gener¬ 
ous  bequests.  The  spiritual  investments  which 
it  offers  are  of  the  highest  value,  bonds  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.  Whether  a  contribution 
or  a  legacy,  your  money  will  be  used  solely  to 
promote  the  knowledge  of 'the  tinadulterated  word  of 
God.  This  is  the  world’s  greatest  need,  and 
will  continue  to  be  as  long  as  the  world 
stands. 

How  much  will  you  give  to  meet  it  ? 

‘  Unto  whomsoever  much  is  given  of  him  shall  be 
much  required.”  “And  he  saw  also  a  poor  widow 
casting  in  thither  two  mites.” 

Form  of  a  Bequest  to  the  Society. 

I  give  and  bequeath  to  the  American  Bible  Society, 
formed  in  New  York  in  the  year  eighteen  hundred 
and  sixteen,  and  incorporated  in  the  year  eighteen 

hundred  and  forty- one,  the  sum  of . , 

to  be  applied  to  the  charitable  uses  and  purposes  of 
said  Society. 


15 


FACTS  FROM  THE  FIELD. 


ONLY  the  briefest  items  can  be  given  from 
the  Annual  Report,  and  the  Bible 
Society  Record,  published  monthly. 


THE  NEW  WORLD. 

The  countries  of  Mexico,  Central  and  South 
America,  are  wrapt  up  in  our  own  destiny. 
Our  commercial  and  political  interest,  as  well 
as  our  religious  duty,  demand  that  we  should 
give  them  the  enlightenment  and  stimulus  that 
come  from  the  open  Bible.  This  will  not  be 
done  unless  we  do  it,  for  the  religious  forces 
of  Europe  have  left  the  new  world  to  us.  In 
answer  to  prayer,  our  opportunities  have  been 
greatly  increased.  All  legal  obstructions  to 
the  circulation  of  the  Scriptures  in  these  lands 
have  at  last  been  removed. 

We  cannot  reap  without  sowing.  Now  is 
the  seed-time.  The  seed  is  the  word.  God 
has  done  his  part  by  preparing  the  seed  and 
the  soiL  Shall  we  do  ours  by  putting  in  the 
seed  ? 


CUBA  AND  PUERTO  RICO. 

We  have  given  our  bullets  to  free  them  from  Span¬ 
ish  tyranny.  Let  us  now  give  them  our  Bibles  that 
they  may  be  free  indeed.  The  Bible  Society  now 
appeals  for  special  gifts  to  meet  this  new,  sacred,  and 
patriotic  duty  at  our  doors,  as  well  as  in  the  distant 
Philippines. 

MEXICO. 


half  a  million  copies  of  the  Scriptures  are 
yet  in  the  hands  of  the  twelve  millions  of  Mexicans. 


i6 

Oar  Nearest  Neighbors. 

In  1899  we  circulated  26,264  volumes.  In 
face  of  all  difficulties  we  can  double  these 
nunibers  each  year  if  the  free  Bible  loving 
Christians  of  America  will  give  the  means. 
We  were  only  able  to  slightly  increase  the 
work  last  year.  Mr.  Hamilton,  in  charge  of 
this  Agency,  writes  : 

These  poor  people,  “for  whom  no  man  careth,” 
after  they  have  humbly  listened  to  a  chapter  from  the 
Bible,  will  make  sacrifices  to  obtain  it.  They  offer, 
in  default  of  money,  a  rosary,  a  crucifix,  pictures  of 
saints,  the  sandals  off  their  feet,  eggs,  firewood,  any¬ 
thing  in  their  poor  possession,  to  obtain  a  copy  of 
the  “book  of  God,”  as  they  call  it. 

There  is  a  slow  and  quiet  movement  in  Mexico 
toward  the  simpler  and  deeper  religion  of  the  New 
Testament.  The  Mexicans  are  not  an  irreligious 
people ;  sheer  atheism  is  not  known  ;  they  have  only 
been  crushed  by  ecclesiasticism  in  times  past. 

CENTRAL  AMERICA 

This  Agency,  with  half  a  dozen  colporteurs, 
covers  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  Costa  Rica, 
Honduras,  San  Salvador,  Guatemala,  and 
Nicaragua.  Mr.  Penzotti,  the  Agent,  reports 
that  in  spite  of  revolution,  sickness,  and  the 
newness  of  the  work,  '],2iS  Scriptures  were 
sold,  for  which  the  people  paid  $1,813  34- 

Of  the  three  million  inhabitants  in  Central  America, 
more  than  half  are  unable  to  read.  The  governments 
of  these  five  republics  are  generally  progressive  and 
liberal ;  and  while  the  Roman  priesthood  puts  forth 
all  its  influence  to  hinder  progress,  the  current  is  too 
strong  for  them  to  impede  it. 


17 

VENEZUELA  AND  COLOMBIA. 

Mr.  Norwood  writes  of  the  revolution,  in 
spite  of  which  over  2,000  volumes  were  sold 
in  the  half  year  from  January  to  August,  and 
adds  interestingly  ; 

While  we  were  not  allowed  to  distribute  the 
Scriptures  among  the  government  troops,  the  gen¬ 
erals  of  the  liberal  army  not  only  allowed  us  to  enter 
the  barracks  and  offer  a  copy  to  every  soldier  who 
would  promise  to  read  it,  but  did  all  in  their  power 
to  facilitate  our  plans.  The  courteous  attention  of 
the  officers,  the  eagerness  of  the  men  to  receive  the 
book,  and  the  marked  attention  given  to  every  word 
I  said,  made  the  work  of  those  few  days  very  enjoy¬ 
able. 

BRAZIL. 

Mr.  Tucker  reports  a  circulation  of  32,025 
copies  for  the  year,  an  increase  over  the  sales 
of  1898.  He  says  : 

The  sales  of  entire  Bibles  and  New  Testaments 
have  been  larger  this  year  than  ever  before.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  that  the  Bible  is  becoming  more 
popular  in  Brazil,  and  that  an  increasing  number  of 
persons  are  seeking  after  the  light  of  God’s  word. 

THE  LA  PLATA  AGENCY 

embraces  Argentina,  Uruguay,  Paraguay, 
Chili,  Peru,  and  Ecuador.  Thirty-five  years 
ago  this  was  the  only  Agency  our  Society  had 
in  Latin  America  ;  to-day  it  is  one  of  six. 

Power  of  the  Bible. 

The  report  of  Mr.  Milne  contains  many  instances  oi 
conversion  through  Bible  distribution. 

“  In  Las  Flores  eight  persons  in  one  family  were 
brought  to  Christ  through  the  sale  of  one  Bible. 


i8 

They  had  not  read  it  long  when  they  cleared  out  all 
the  images,  saints,  and  relics  to  which  they  had  been 
bowing  down. 

“One  man  found  a  Spanish  Bible  in  a  heap  of  rub¬ 
bish.  The  more  he  read  the  more  his  interest  deep¬ 
ened  until  he  found  forgiveness  and  rest  of  soul,  and 
that  before  attending  any  evangelical  meeting  what¬ 
ever.” 

Christianization  Without  the  Bible. 

For  more  than  a  century  and  a  half  the  Jesuits  had 
absolute  control  over  Paraguay.  In  three  years  they 
baptized  24,970.  At  the  time  of  their  expulsion  in 
1767  they  had  the  whole  thoroughly  christianized 
after  their  manner.  To-day  all  that  remains  of  their 
work  is  the  ruins  of  their  houses,  and  the  orange 
groves  they  planted.  Not  a  vestige  of  any  spiritual, 
moral,  or  intellectual  enlightenment. 

THE  LEVANT  AGENCY. 

_  This  is  in  charge  of  Mr.  Bowen  at  Constan¬ 
tinople,  and  covers  Bulgaria,  European  and 
Asiatic  Turkey,  and  Egypt.  Issues  last  year, 
volumes  in  thirty  languages. 

The  52,893  copies  in  Arabic  show  that  a  great  work 
is  being  quietly  done  among  the  Mohammedans  who 
cannot  be  reached  by  open  preaching. 

In  the  T rack  of  Massacres. 

More  copies  of  Scriptures  have  gone  into  the  hands 
of  those  who  never  looked  on  the  book  than  for  years 
previous  ;  and  it  has  been  read  and  explained  also  to 
large  groups  of  women.  Perhaps  the  very  fact  that 
they  had  seen  this  word  trampled  under  feet,  torn 
and^  burned,  led  them  to  wonder  what  it  was  that 
excited  so  much  hatred,  and  lo !  they  found  it  com¬ 
fort  and  rest  for  just  such  weary  ones  as  they. 

A  young  Armenian  girl  who  was  carried  off  among 


19 

the  Koords  saw  her  own  Testament  in  the  midst  of 
plunder  that  was  brought  to  the  village.  She  did  not 
dare  to  ask  for  it,  but  one  day  after  being  allowed  to 
return  to  her  own  home,  an  Armenian  friend  brought 
in  an  old,  well-read  Testament  which  he  said  he  had 
bought  from  a  Koord,  and  behold  !  it  was  her  very 
own.  How  God  had  watched  over  that  book  to 
comfort  her  broken  heart !  Many  are  the  scorched, 
battered  copies  of  God’s  word  which  we  see  as  we  go 
about.  They  were  rescued  from  the  destroyer  and 
are  loved  and  cherished  as  never  before.  The  Lord 
breathe  his  Spirit’s  power  through  them  all ! 

CHINA. 

The  eyes  of  the  world  have  been  turned  upon 
China.  This  is  one  of  the  greatest  fields  of  the 
American  Bible  Society.  Its  issues  last  year 
were  514,295  volumes. 

Dr.  Hykes  reports  that  they  have  been  scattered  in 
thousands  of  towns  and  villages,  throughout  eighteen 
provinces,  and  will  do  much  toward  molding  the 
thought  and  life  of  the  new  China,  which  is  bound 
to  supersede  the  old.  There  is  a  great  demand  for 
Christian  Scriptures  far  beyond  what  we  can  supply 
with  our  limited  funds. 

The  dreadful  outbreak  of  the  Boxer  rebellion  may 
retard  the  work  in  the  North,  but  vast  regions  are  as 
yet  undisturbed. 

Similar  reports  of  the  work  in  Japan,  Korea, 
Siam,  India,  Africa,  and  the  islands  of  the  sea 
might  be  given  if  space  permitted. 

THE  PHILIPPINE  ISLANDS. 

The  Bible  is  practically  an  unknown  book 
there.  The  Agent  of  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society  sent  to  Manila  in  1889  was 
promptly  poisoned  and  the  work  stopped. 


20 

The  American  Bible  Society’s  Agent  for 
China,  Rev.  Dr.  Hykes,  visited  the  Philip¬ 
pines  immediately  after  the  battle  of  Manila 
Bay.  He  reported  ; 

I  feel  safe  in  saying  that  sacerdotal  despotism  and 
official  rapacity  are  alone  responsible  for  the  present 
rebellion.  The  exactions  and  iniquities  of  the  friars 
are  the  subjects  of  common  conversation.  I  thought 
the  desecration  of  the  Cavite  churches  was  very  sug¬ 
gestive  of  a  changed  attitude  toward  the  Church.  I 
visited  one  of  the  churches  and  found  that  the  insur¬ 
gent  soldiers  had  destroyed  the  altar  and  cut  up  the 
images  of  the  saints. 


THE  HOME  OF  MR.  AND  MRS.  GOODRICH,  MANILA. 

I  think  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  more  needy 
field,  and  the  call  that  comes  to  the  Protestant 
churches  of  America  is  loud  and  urgent.  The  people 


21 

are,  and  have  been,  without  the  Bible,  They  know 
there  is  such  a  book,  and  that  is  about  all. 

The  Gospel  of  Mark  is  ready  in  Tagalog  and  Pan- 
gasinan,  the  two  principal  languages  of  the  Philip¬ 
pines. 

The  Rev,  Jay  C.  Goodrich  has  been  sent 
by  the  Society  to  this  field  as  the  Agent  of  the 
American  Bible  Society.  He  reports  a  most 
eager  demand  for  the  Scriptures.  Of  a  recent 
visit  to  Dagupan  he  writes  ; 

We  found  the  market  place  crowded,  and  when  we 
offered  our  Gospels  for  sale  we  were  soon  surrounded, 
and  as  fast  as  we  could  make  the  change  the  people 
bought  the  blessed  word.  It  did  not  take  long  to  sell 
every  book  in  their  language  that  we  had  been  able 
to  procure.  Walking  through  the  stalls  afterward 
we  saw  the  people  reading  on  every  hand.  I  can¬ 
not  tell  you  how  I  longed  to  be  able  to  speak  words 
of  counsel  and  direction  to  them,  but  all  I  could  do 
was  to  mark  passages  and  listen  as  they  read  the 
invitations  of  Christ  over  and  over  again. 

For  three  cents  you  can  place  a  Spanish 
Gospel,  or  for  twenty-five  cents  a  Testament, 
English  and  Spanish  parallel,  in  their  hands. 

THE  BIBLE  SOCIETY  AND  FOREIGN  MISSIONS. 

A  careful  student  of  missionary  operations 
has  said  : 

The  Bible  Society  offers  a  wider  range  of  Christian 
efficiency  than  any  missionary  board.  It  transcends 
denominational  lines  and  reaches  out  to  places  and 
peoples  that  are  otherwise  inaccessible. 

TESTIMONY  OF  A  MISSIONARY. 

“  If  there  were  no  Bible  Society,  and  as  a  conse¬ 
quence  no  Bible,  we  might  as  well  ‘pack  up  shop 
and  go  home.’  Our  first  and  great  concern  is  to  get 
the  word  into  the  hands  of  the  people  and  into  their 
hearts.” — Rev.  Samuel  Jessup,  Sidon. 


22 

DENOMINATIONAL  ENDORSEMENTS. 

Congregational.—  '  The  Bible  Society  is  a  grand  aux¬ 
iliary  to  our  work  in  every  —Rev,  Judson  Smith, 
D.D.,  Secretary,  American  Board. 

Presbyterian.— General  Assembly : 

“That  the  thanks  of  the  Assembly  be  extended  to 
the  American  Bible  Society  for  generous  aid  in 


BIBLE  CART,  JAPAN. 

supplying  our  missionaries  with  all  Bibles  needed  for 
gratuitous  distribution,  and  that  our  churches  be 
exhorted  to  remember  this  Society  in  their  gifts.’’ 

Reformed  Church. — General  Synod  : 

“  Resolved,  That  we  heartily  and  earnestly  recom¬ 
mend  the  American  Bible  Society  to  all  our 
churches  as  being  worthy  of  our  fullest  confidence 
and  support,  and  helpful  in  all  departments  of  our 
work.” 


